CET Italy

Name: CET Italy
Brand: CET Academic Programs
SKU: 33647
Rating: 4.76 (68 reviews)

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4.76 Rating

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Location

Italy
- Florence
- Siena

Term

Academic Year, Fall, Spring, Summer

Subject Areas

Anthropology Archaeology Art History Arts Business Classical Studies Communications Economics Education English Environmental Studies European Studies Finance Food Science and Nutrition Gender Studies Global Studies History Humanities International Business International Relations Journalism Language Studies Liberal Arts Linguistics Literature Marketing Mathematics Medieval Studies Philosophy Political Science Psychology Public Relations Social Sciences Sociology Visual Arts +25

Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, Payment plans, LGBTQIA+ funding, BIPOC funding

Health & Safety

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Degree Level

Bachelors

Housing

Apartment Host Family

Language

Italian

Pricing

Price Details

The CET program fee covers tuition, housing in the city center, activities and excursions (day trips), medical insurance, and course materials/textbooks.

The program fee does not include transportation to/from Florence or Siena, visa fees, meals, homestay fees and a refundable housing deposit.

Still wondering how to budget for your time abroad? CET offers scholarships, and CET staff is happy to provide advice on keeping discretionary purchases to a minimum (i.e., they can tell you where to get cheap eats).

What's Included

Accommodation Activities Classes Wifi

What's Not Included

Airfare

Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024

Last Reviewed: Apr 30, 2024

Wish List

31 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

CET Italy programs offer a culturally immersive experience with individual attention from professors and staff, first-rate academics, and the chance to embrace local culture. Choose from a wide variety of electives ranging from Marketing to Economics, Art History to Psychology. CET Florence and CET Siena both offer homestay options with local families, or the choice to live in an apartment with other CET students. Both of these programs offer wonderful cultural experiences such as cooking classes, museum visits, local engagement, and more!

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Video and Photos

A group of CET Florence students posing in front of a sunset

A group of CET Siena students at Mille Miglia in Siena, Italy

CET Florence students inside a boat at the Arno River in Florence, Italy

A group of CET Florence students cooking pasta and sauce

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Diversity & Inclusion

BIPOC Support

CET believes in making study abroad accessible to students of all races, religions, origins, abilities, gender identities, and sexual orientations. We’ve gathered experiences from BIPOC students to share as resources such as the Identity Abroad pages, Perspective Pieces, and Identity Abroad Support Networks. We are also dedicated to becoming a more anti-racist organization by transforming our workplace, programs, and industry with our Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion (JEDI) Action Plan.

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LGBTQIA+ Support

CET supports and welcomes students of all identities on our programs. We provide program-specific information under the cultural climate section of our Identity Abroad webpages for LGBTQ individuals in each of our program locations.

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Neurodivergent Support

CET makes every effort to offer accommodations comparable to that of the students’ home institution. Disclosing early helps us to make proper preparations. The accommodations offered at each program can be found on each program location's Identity Abroad page. These pages can provide a good idea about what classes are like in terms of workload and class time. Initiating one-on-one conversations with Student Service Coordinators can also help inform students' decisions and determine if a program will be a good fit.

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Accessibility Support

CET makes every effort to offer accommodations comparable to that of the students’ home institution. The levels of accessibility, from wheelchair accessibility to extra time on exams, are under each program location’s Identity Abroad page. Initiating one-on-one conversations with Student Service Coordinators can help inform students' decisions and determine if a program will be a good fit.

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Impact

Sustainability

CET is an environmentally conscientious organization at our headquarters in DC and programs all around the world. In each of our centers, we adopt local measures to reduce our carbon footprint and contribute to sustainable practices. As part of our ongoing efforts towards sustainability, we’ve partnered with Cool Effect, a nonprofit focused on reducing carbon emissions through scientifically-proven, hand-selected carbon projects worldwide. For each trip taken by one of our staff members, travelers, or students, we donate to support three carbon projects chosen by staff volunteers every year.

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Ethical Impact

When we set up a program overseas, we become a part of that local community. And as a community member, we are responsible for contributing to local initiatives in meaningful ways. Our website lists some local philanthropic organizations that help us fulfill this responsibility—they host our students, and we support their missions.

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Program Highlights

Academically engaging courses that suit a variety of majors
Group excursions around Italy
Out-of-classroom learning & assignments
Italian language classes
Live in the beautiful downtown areas of Florence or Siena: apartment or homestay options available

Popular Programs

CET Florence

Want to study in one of Italy's most beautiful and cosmopolitan cities? Looking to travel to a different European destination every weekend? The CET Florence program offers the chance to embrace Italian culture—you can visit the Gucci factory or learn from a Tuscan chef. Check off major requirements with classes like Cross-Cultural Psychology or International Marketing. Try something new with Renaissance Art and Architecture. The class meets at least half the time in a museum, church, or piazza!

CET Siena

CET Siena is for those who want to dive in to the Italian lifestyle. Study Italian language and choose from a wide variety of electives. Visit a contrada to learn about the Palio horserace one day. Choose to live with local roommates or homestay. Students from all colleges and universities are welcome!

Program Reviews

4.76 Rating

based on 68 reviews

Leave a Review

Rating Spread Study Intern

5 rating 80.88%
4 rating 14.71%
3 rating 4.41%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Academics 3.8
Support 4.65
Fun 4.7
Housing 4.4
Safety 4.85

Growth 5
Support 5
Fun 5
Housing 5
Safety 5

Good for Students, Foodies

Showing 65 - 68 of 68 reviews

I didn't really have a good feel for what the program and the city were like before I went. The website and literature could be much better about giving possible applicants an Idea of what they should expect. things such as enrollment numbers and gender breakdown for past semester. explanations of how course enrollment works. lists of most popular courses and courses that are normally offered. sample schedule of a student. local nightlife descriptions. pictures of the city and pictures of some of the housing. All of these things would give students a better Idea of what the program was like before they show up.

What would you improve about this program?

be more clear in advertising what the size of the program is and what typical classes are offered. Many of the classes on the published list were not offered and some hadn't been offered for many years so the site was misleading.

Response from CET Academic Programs

Thanks for taking the time to offer us feedback on GoOverseas Tim. We value student feedback and strive to improve our programs based on the feedback you and other students give to us each semester. We're sorry that you did not feel that our website and pre-departure materials gave you a full understanding of Siena and the program. Knowing what information that would have been helpful to you can help inform the changes we make to our website and printed materials each year and the pre-departure orientations we offer each semester. We would welcome the chance to receive the types of photos and lists of popular destinations in Siena from you to include in our materials for future students. Please be in touch with CET (800.225.4262 or cet@academic-travel.com) if you would be willing to work with us on this type of project and offer some of your photos and resources to us to help future participants on the program.

By CET Academic Programs on April 4, 2014

Italy is the most beautiful place. Traveling was pretty easy and cheap, as was staying in hostels. A plane ride to Paris only cost me 14 euro with Ryanair.com, and most hostels were less than 20 euros per night. The academic side wasn't great though. It was much more work than I expected, without learning a lot from it. I did learn a lot of Italian but my class was extremely stressful. I got better at Italian by hanging out with the locals, but there isn't really a great social scene that suited my interests. In Siena there are a few bars, but not really dance clubs or party opportunities. I was very surprised to learn that Italians don't really drink. They may have a glass of wine, but rarely do they get any sort of drunk. The contrada parties are so fun though! Lots of dancing. CET has a great set-up with a group of Italians from the University of Siena - we got drinks (aperitivo) with them every week. It was my favorite part of Siena; I made some great Italian friends. Most of my dislikes stemmed from not getting along very well with the students in my program, but by the end, we were great friends, and everything was smoothed over. The food is INCREDIBLE. I ate everything in sight and still lost five pounds because the food is so organic and well-made (compared to American preservatives). Going to soccer games was very fun too. Italians are SO into it! Siena is very small: within the walls it's about a 30 minute walk from one side to the other. It's also very safe. No one had any trouble with pickpocketing or any theft. The housing was great - I had my own room and an Italian flatmate. Overall, though I wasn't very happy for most of it (it's really hard feeling lonely or depressed in a foreign country), it ended up being a really great, life-changing experience. If I'm being SUPER honest though, while I think studying abroad in general is very important, I may have chosen a different program (maybe even a different country) that was bigger and better suited to my personal needs.

What would you improve about this program?

The program isn't well-organized. Some of the teachers are really not very good, which meant a lot of time in class was wasted and pointless. Also, I wish there were more people in the program (not CET's fault), because nine was just WAY too few.

Response from CET Academic Programs

Thanks for taking the time to offer us feedback on GoOverseas. We value student feedback and strive to improve our programs based on the feedback you and other students give to us each semester. To us, the academic piece of the study abroad experience is the most important part of what we do. We strive to offer academically rigorous courses in all of our programs and would love to have additional feedback from you on the courses you feel did not provide this level of rigor. Please be in touch with CET if you would like to have a conversation with one of our staff members about your courses and how you feel they could have been improved. You may reach us at 800.225.4262 or cet@academic-travel.com.

By CET Academic Programs on April 4, 2014

I had the most amazing time in Siena and traveling the rest of Europe. My experience would not have been the same without my homestay mother. After leaving Siena, I felt like I had become Italian. My language skills improved miraculously.

What would you improve about this program?

I wish the program size was larger.

I had a wonderful experience in Siena. I lived with a home stay family and my host was Stella. Stella was amazing and like a mother to me. I had a roommate from my college also and we became best friends. My roommate and me would travel together on the weekends. We would attend class Monday through Thursday in the afternoons and had Friday off to allow a long weekend for travel! We made it to Florence, Rome, and Naples/amalfi coast areas. My classes were fun and I love my teachers. The director of my program was so helpful and I loved getting to talk with we about her Italian experiences. I was surprised by how much free time I had during the week. I spent many afternoons in the medieval fortress park studying and enjoying the beautiful views is Siena. It truly was the best summer of my life and I would do anything I go back.

What would you improve about this program?

The travel getting in to Siena from Florence was more difficult than I expected. Everything else was actually perfect.

Read my full story

Questions & Answers

Packing list for Jan-May semester?

Hi Kimberly, After you're accepted to CET Florence, we provide a packing guide resource on what to bring and what not to bring. Generally, you just need a laptop for coursework, clothes, and personal items. Your apartments are fully equipped with linens, blankets, pillows, towels, and kitchen equipment, so there's no need to bring any of these supplies from the US. Get in touch with us if you have...

By CET Academic Programs on October 31, 2018

Would this school be compatible with teaching majors?

The program had no classes that were specifically geared toward education, but the year I went (2014) we were all given the opportunity to teach English to Italian elementary school students. This would be great experience for a teaching major. Otherwise, the program was focused on Italian language, history, politics, art, and architecture. So humanities-based in general, which of course is great...

By Nora on March 23, 2018

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose the Siena, Italy summer program because I believe it came with the entire package. From the enchanting small Medieval town to the authentic experiences a smaller city and program could offer, I knew I could not go wrong. Siena, unlike in other larger cities, allows you to really practice your Italian, while forming relationships with the locals.

It is also a much safer city, so enjoying the night life never made me feel unsafe. I really wanted a program that would allow me to assimilate into the Italian culture, and Siena did that perfectly.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

Our resident director, Elena, was amazing about helping out with anything and everything that we needed on the trip. She organized movie nights, workout classes, beach trips, wine tastings, and more, and she was always there for anyone that needed extra support, whether it be shadowing a dentist or just a catching up over coffee.

CET, in general, was amazing about contacting us with our homestay information, flight information, helping pick us up from the airport, and answering any questions we had (which were endless).

We had to organize our free time, whether that be a trip to Capri or Bellagio, but no complaints here. If we had trouble with anything, we had copious amounts of resources to turn to.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

Meet the locals. Get out of the tight knit group of students, and really put yourself out there. Strike up a conversation wherever you go because chances are, the people you meet will be extremely friendly and passionate. I learned so much from the people I met over there, and mostly by accident, but those connections you make abroad add richness to your experience.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

An average day can vary from 3 hours of class to 5 with a break in between for lunch. Most of the classes have 'una pausa' in the middle so you can go get an espresso or croissant, which I highly recommend getting. Then normally we would stroll the city streets, popping into shops or going for a run around the fortress before dinner at 8 with our host mom, which was always 5 courses of pure bliss.

After dinner and getting homework done, we would go out on the piazza and sit with a bottle of wine and catch up or meet new people. The piazza at night is a very special place, where even all the locals go to gather and just be together and enjoy life. There really is no where else like it.

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it and/or how did your views on the issue change?

My biggest fear was not knowing anyone, and therefore being in a foreign country alone. This soon quickly changed as I became very close with the two girls who were staying in my homestay, and everyone else on the program. I forgot that everyone was going to be afraid of a completely foreign experience, but I think that fear is what brought us together so quickly.

Being abroad forces you out of your comfort zone so that you become more open to foreign experiences, which helps you grow as a person.

What was the hardest or scariest thing you experienced while abroad, and what did you do?

Traveling as a group of 7, we arrived in Amalfi for the weekend. We climbed what felt like 2,000,000 stairs and in what felt like 110 degree heat with all our stuff on our backs, and we finally made it to the bed and breakfast we booked. No reservation. Nothing. Not until next weekend at least, and it is now 7 o'clock at night. So far, no other hotels have any other openings, so the lady offered us freshly squeezed orange juice to try to mitigate the fact that we were now homeless for the weekend.

After some minor freak outs, we eventually discovered a very expensive hotel right on the water that could hold all of us. We ran. Now as sweaty as ever, but completely relieved, we cleaned up and treated ourselves to the most delicious dinner on the water with a breathtaking view of the Amalfi coast. So. Moral of the story: even being homeless in Italy cannot stop you from having an amazing time.

Casey O'Reily

2014 Alum

Lacey Prestipino

2013 Alum

Melanie Biano

About CET Academic Programs

CET Academic Programs is a study abroad organization that has been developing and delivering innovative educational programs abroad since 1982. Originally “China Educational Tours,” CET began operations in Beijing, and today offers a varied portfolio of semester, summer, and short-term customized programs for college, high school, pre-college, and...